Although he fell in the title game of the NCAA Championships to rival Jeff Morrison of Florida, he remained the No. 1 collegiate player in the country. Blake racked up enough points by winning two other Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Grand Slam events and by dominating the competition to the tune of a 41-4 record.
"James was phenomenal all season long," Co-Captain Mike J. Passarella '99 said at the end of the season. "He proved himself to be far and away the best player in the country."
His victories in the ITA All-American Championships last October and the Rolex National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships in February gave him the respect of the tennis world, not just on the collegiate level. On June 14, Blake was named the Tennis Magazine/ITA National Player of the Year.
He also teamed with Co-Captain Kunj Majmudar '99 for a phenomenal season of doubles, earning the third seed in the NCAA tournament as a pair. The duo, however, ultimately fell in the second round.
Blake's NCAA tournament singles performance marked the first time a Crimson player had reached the finals since 1921.
Blake is also the first player to leave the College early in order to play professional sports since 1992, when first-year Erika DeLone left to pursue a career on the women's tennis circuit.